Carl paul stirn



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

G. P. STIRN.

PHOTOGRAPHIG CAMERA.

No. 416,650. Patented Deo. 3, 1889.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII N. PETERS. Photo-Lixhagmpner. waswnglen. n.6.

C. P. STIRN. PHOTOGRAPHIG CAMERA.

(No Model.)

l. JU

N PETERS. Phao-Umgraphor. Washington. UC.

UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CARL PAUL STIRN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOSEPH y THORPE, OF JERSEY CITY, NEY JERSEY.

PHOTOGRAPHIC CAMERA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 416,650, dated December 3, 1889.

Application filed, January 14, 1889. Serial No. 296,284. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CARL PAUL STIRN, of the' city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improve- 5 ments in Photographic Cameras Specially Designed for Amateurs; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of lo reference marked thereon, making a part of this specification.

This invention relates to portable or amateur cameras, and has for its object to facilitate the storage and successive exposure r 5 therein of a large number of prepared plates without the necessity of opening the camera to remove and replace them, so as to overcome thereby the disadvantages attending the use of a continuous sensitized paper-film 2o for receiving the impressions, and to reduce ,Y

the cost of such cameras.

It consists in the several novel features hereinafter fully described, and which are particularly set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a front view, in perspective, of my improved camera; Fig. 2, an elevation thereof from the rear, with its hinged cover thrown open; Fig. 3, a longitudinal section through the axis of 3o the lens-tube in line a' of Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a similar section illustrating the movement of the plate-slide for the withdrawal of a plate which has been exposed.

Similar letters indicate like parts in all of 35 lthe figures.

A A represent the case inclosing the camera, and which is preferably made of an oblong form. One side of the case is closed by a hinged lid A2. The lens-tube B is fitted 4o in the opposite side of the case, midway between the center and one end thereof, and centrally between its longitudinal edges, and iscovered by a revolving shutter of any approved description and which need not herein 45 be described.

A tray I-I is made to fit neatly within the casing at its rear open side, in position to bring the front or inner face of thetray in the focal plane of the lens B and at the rear 5o of the lens-compartment of the camera. The

tray is divided by a central partition H into two equal compartments, which are open at the top and fitted at the front or inner end with metallic strips secured to the edges thereof and made to form an inwardly-projecting narrow encircling ledge t t'. This ledge is made wide enough in the first or plate-exposing compartment to serve as a support for the edges of a suitable plateholder K, adapted to receive and confine the edges of a thin plate of celluloid or stiff paper or other equivalent material bearing a sensitized photographic film. The width of the ledge encircling the inner or front end of the second compartment is so reduced as to permit the plate-holder to drop through it when the camera is turned with its lens downward, as shown in Fig. 4.

Space is left between the bottom of the central partition H and the underlying ledgeplate H2 to permit one plate-holder to be drawn out at a time through it from the front of the eXposing-compartment into the front end of the second compartment. This retraction of the front plate-holder is accomplished by arms m m, terminating in inwardly-projecting fingers m m', and which are fitted to slide longitudinally upon the front ledge on either side of the exposing-compartment, and are coupled to a transverse bar or cross-head L, whose ends rest and slide to and from the partition H upon the ledges in the front of the second compartment. Then this bar L is carried against the partition, the fingers m m upon the arms 'm m are carried back of the plate-holder resting upon the ledges in the exposing-compartment to engage its edge, and by drawing the bar from said partition toward the opposite side of the compartment the plate-holder engaged by the fingers will be drawn into said second compartment, and being left unsupported therein will, when the camera is reversed with its lens downward, drop Vi nto a receiving-compartment N, formed in the camera at the side of the lens-compartment and in front of the second compartment of the tray II.

The movement of the retracting slide-bar or cross-head L is effected, as required, by means of a rod O, screwing into said bar to IOO project out through the end of the Casin g, as shown in Figs. 3 and el.

The space in the tray ll back or above the receiving-compartment N may be utilized for the storage of extra photographic plates by fitting a detachable bottom plate S therein above the slide-bar L, said plate serving also to exclude the light from the sensitized plates beneath it.

The plate-holders K K, placed in the exposing-compartment, are automatically borne down'upon its encircling front flange t' t' by means of a follower P,tted with spiral springs P P', which are compressed after the follower is placed upon the plate-holders in the compartment by means of a lid Q, which, when closed down, is fastened by suitable catches R R.

The plate-holders K K may be designated by numbers on the back side thereof, which, when a holder is dropped into the receivingcompartment N, will be in sight thereon when the tray is removed; or an aperture may be formed in the inner bottom plate S of the second compartment of the tray, so as to enable the operator to see the number on the back of the last plate dropped into said receiving compartment, and thereby determine the number of plates which have been exposed, said aperture being properly covered by a piece T of ruby or orange colored glass to permit of this inspection without affecting the exposed plates by reason of the light.

In the use of this camera the exposing-compartment is filled with as many plates as it will receive under the follower P, the sensitized plates being each held and protected, as shown in Fig. 5, in a thin metallic holder K, which leavesonly the sensitized face exposed. These holders are numbered on the back in consecutive order. As the edges of the first plate-holder rest upon the flange@- i, encircling the opening in the front or inner end of the first compartment, the sensitized film is supported immediately behind the focal plane of the lens in proper position to receive the image transmitted through it. So soon as the inner or front plate in the exposing-compartment hasbeen exposed the camera is turned so as to bring the lens downward, and the exposed plate is drawn by a movement of the rod P (see Fig. t) out from the inner end or bottom of the exposing-compartment and allowed to drop into the lateral receiving-compartment N. The number on the back ot the plate will thus be brought to view through the colo red pane of glass T, covering the opening in the inner or bottom plate S of the second compartment of the tray, whereby, when said compartment it empty, the number of plates which have been exposed may be seen at a glance. Vhen the foremost sensitized plate is thus withdrawn from the exposing-chainber, the next plate in order will, under the influence of the springs P I, drop into its place, and the rod O being pushed back its fingers m m will slide under the holder ot said succeeding plate into position to engage it in readiness for its withdrawal. Thus a series of plates may be successively exposed without opening the camera.

I claim as my invention- I. The combination, with a photographic camera having a receiving-compartment N formed therein at one side of its lens-compartment, of a removable tray II,iitted in the back ot' the camera and having a plate holding and exposing compartment formed therein to coincide with and form the inner or rear end of the lens-con'ipartment, a second compartment to register with the inner or rear end of the receiving-compartment, and a partition dividing one end of said second compartment from the receiving-compartment, whereby a storage-receptacle is formed 1n the tray for extra plates, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

2. The combination, in a photographic calnera, with its lenscompartment, its lateral plate-receiving compartment, and a detachable tray fitting into the camera back of said exposing and receiving compartments, of a transverse partition in the tray dividing it into two compartments, a partition in the second compartment to divide it from the receivi11g-compartment ofthe camera and having an opening therein, and a pane of colored glass covering and closing said opening, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CARL PAUL STIRN.

Vitnesses:

FRANK E. CoMroN, W. G. MORRISON.

IOO 

